Had a wonderful time aboard the Norwegian Dawn. We drove to the pier and were parked($210) by 9:30 am. Easy check-in and were eating in the Venetian Dining room by 12:15! I bought one soda sticker for $50 and my family got good use of it all week.
The ship is beautiful with plenty of lounges, bars and quiet spaces. The entertainment was GREAT! The cruise director Matt Baker was fantastic!!!! He really helped make the cruise a fun time for all. Don't miss the comedian Dave, Second City, the newlywed game, and the quest game. Also, the pub crawl was fun. For only $25, you get 5 drinks at 5 different bars in 55 minutes with games, laughs and prizes along the way. I'm not a big drinker so I purchased only one and my family shared the drinks and the fun! They even give you coupons to use in the casino. So it almost pays for itself. My husband won $120 overall on slots and roulette. Everyday there are drink specials like 2-1 martinis and $4.95 margaritas, etc.
The pool does get crowded so wake up early to get a lounge chair. The music and BBQ by the pool were both great. BINGO was OK. I played on other cruises where it was more entertaining so save your money.The food was good. We ate in the main (free) dining rooms and always found something we liked. The strip steak was always enjoyed by someone in our family everyday! If you can't decide, order two meals. Although it looked crowded outside the dining room, we never waited mote than 15 minutes and we were never rushed at the table. I like the idea of freestyle but still miss having the same waiter who gets to know you and your family. The Blue Lagoon was good for something different for lunch.
Typical inside cabin. There was plenty of storage and the bathroom was fine for me but my husband found the shower small.